Game
Thoughts
"Talking"
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, let's see what you're really made of, Garou!
Gray grinned as his body tensed, glancing at a quest in the corner of his eye as he and Garou stood motionless across from each other.
[Quest Alert]
Learn the fighting style of [Garou]!
Master one [Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist] technique in a battle with [Garou] before leaving King Kai's planet!
Rewards:
+50 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+50,000 Coins
+50,000 (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+[Martial Arts Style: Garou]
Failure:
The S-Class mission will increase in difficulty!
This is even better than I expected.
Gray had learned firsthand during his fight with Suiryu, which felt like a lifetime ago as he was now many times the martial artist's strength despite less than a month passing, that his [Fighting Style: Broly] couldn't solve everything.
Against less-skilled and more power-based fighters, it's fuckin' amazing. But against real martial artists, it's a bad matchup.
The difference between fighting a Saiyan and fighting a martial artist was huge - Saiyans were blunt, and as such, fought bluntly. Broly's fighting style took advantage of that, using overwhelming offense to shake off blows and abuse an opponent, leaving them reeling and unable to recover. By comparison, martial artists were much trickier, using techniques to dodge, counterattack, and overall take advantage of blunt opponents.
If I can catch them, then Broly's style still works well, but catching them is the problem. I need a more versatile fighting style.
And, if Garou really was skilled enough to keep up with Saitama from his techniques alone, then that was exactly what Gray needed.
Gray's eyes bored into Garou's, and the man's hand twitched ever so slightly as he tensed, and they both moved instantly. Gray blasted forward, powered up by the Kaio-Ken, as Garou did the same.
First, try to catch him!
Gray's fist shot forward like a cannon, blasting at Garou's face, but the slim yet muscular man just shifted to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack as his own fist shot forward, aimed at Gray's gut.
Fast-
Was all Gray could think as he quickly raised his other arm, smirking lightly as he didn't move to dodge the lightning-fast punch. Instead, he lashed out, planning to tank the blow and grapple Garou in the process. However, as he did, Garou shifted again as if he knew exactly what Gray was planning, smoothly letting Gray's hand swipe over his head. As he did, his arm didn't stop, only being slowed down slightly as it slammed into Gray's gut.
-2,275,980 HP! (87,236,620/89,512,600)
Gray hissed lightly, but didn't back down as his eyes narrowed, [Cognitive Acceleration] activating.
He doesn't hurt nearly as much as Saitama does. I can take some damage as long as I just get one good grab on him.
He slid back a bit from the punch, but lunged forward without missing a beat and angled his arm downward, snapping his fist forward at Garou. In response, the red-haired man merely scoffed lightly, his entire body bending to the side as Gray's arm burst past him, breaking the air around him from the force. Garou leaned inward, casually twisting his body in a way Gray didn't know was possible as his other hand grappled down, trying to catch the martial artist.
Garou's entire body twisted, his head heading toward the ground as his hands pressed flat into the grass below to stabilize him. At the same time, his legs pressed off the ground, raising into the air as his hips spun. His bottom half looked like it almost did a complete 180-degree turn as his leg lashed out, slamming into Gray's gut and sending him stumbling back.
-2,527,850 HP! (84,708,770/89,512,600)
Damn!
Gray hissed as the wind was nearly knocked out of him, barely preventing himself from stumbling as his feet dug into the floor. He didn't let the pain distract him, instead raising his leg and stomping down as Garou's torso was in a near push-up position on the ground, but the man casually pushed himself to the side, flipping to his feet in a blur as Gray's foot created a crater on the floor.
Just break through once!
Gray grunted as he pressed forward, shifting his weight onto the stomping leg as he launched another punch, sending a shockwave out around them as his fist shot at Garou. The martial artist ducked down again, looking similar to Gray using his [Boxing Style: Kolra] as he ducked into his guard. Gray just grinned as he did, shifting his weight again as he abruptly slammed down his elbow, aiming for Garou's back as the man jutted a fist into his chest.
-2,189,210 HP! (82,519,560/89,512,600)
However, Garou moved fluidly, landing the punch and then continuing to step forward. He slipped around Gray, dodging the elbow as he moved around his side and was suddenly behind him, pressing a palm strike into his back.
-2,512,700 HP! (80,006,860/89,512,600)
Gray stumbled a bit, but spun around, not pausing for even a second.
I wanted to test out just how strong my body became from training with Saitama, but I guess it's still not enough to break through his skill in the base Kaio-Ken.
"KAIO-KEN X3!" Gray shouted abruptly, his Ki blaring out around him in a wave of power. His heart started to pound quicker in his chest, and his blood started flowing through his veins faster. He shot forward at Garou as the man's eyes widened slightly, unprepared for the abrupt transformation.
I need to overwhelm him.
Gray's eyes narrowed as [Prediction] activated, and his arms blurred, moving even faster than before. He launched a punch to the side, aiming for Garou's cheek, and the man's head leaned back. As he did, his arm curved upward, an upper-cut aimed at Gray's chin.
But I know it's coming.
With [Prediction], Gray simply turned his fist away, leaning back as he let the attack fly past his eyes. Then, he blasted his other fist at Garou's gut, but the man shifted his weight again, his body twisting as one leg went off the ground in a round-house kick.
That's exactly what I was waiting for.
Gray grinned, halting his punch in an instant as his other arm raised up, holding it in front of his face as his palm opened to catch Garou's incoming kick. But, once again, as if Garou could read Gray's mind, he yanked his attack back at the last second, instead flipping backward and creating space between him and Gray.
"You were so confident, and yet you don't even know the basics." Garou just wrinkled his nose at Gray, looking annoyed as his body was tensed, ready to lash out at any moment. "You're better than the baldy, but not by much."
Gray's lips twitched down, as while he usually wouldn't mind being compared to the overpowered hero, calling him the same level skill-wise as Saitama was actually a pretty big insult.
"You're pissing me off now," Gary just narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming a bit angry as he tensed, "I'm really gonna kick your ass now. KAIO-KEN X4!"
Gray's Ki flared up around him as his body started to move quicker. His heart pounded in his ears, trying to beat straight through his muscular chest, and his veins became filled with lava-like bursts of Ki. But Gray simply ignored it, instead barreling forward.
Try dodging all of this, you slippery bastard.
Gray shot forward in a blur, Garou's eyes widening as he sped up yet again. His Ki-coated fist slammed through the space where Garou's head was, the nimble man having to move instantly to avoid having his head knocked off his shoulders. Gray didn't pause, his other fist following instantly, and Garou backpedaled to avoid a fist to the gut.
Despite Garou's arrogant and somewhat disappointed words before, as Gray continued his onslaught, fist after fist barreling down as it looked like he had a thousand arms to an untrained eye, Garou was clearly struggling. He flipped backward, barely avoiding a fist that cratered the ground where he had been standing, and then instantly ducked mid-air - moving awkwardly as he did a handstand, then spun in a 180 to dodge another kick aimed at his side.
He can't dodge forever!
Gray just grinned, his adrenaline pumping as he didn't stop the onslaught. Punch after punch rained down, none making contact but progressively getting closer and closer as Garou was put on the back rope. One brushed through his hair as he ducked, the next skimming off a hanging piece of his tight black training shirt and exposing his skin, and then the next came mere millimeters from his cheek. Then, finally, as Garou ducked under one punch, his eyes went wide as the next incoming upper-cut was only mere centimeters from his face.
Got him!
Gray's grin widened as his Ki-coated fist burst forward, crossing the gap in an instant, and completely missed Garou's face-
What?
Gray blinked as the man's head moved ever so slightly, shifting its angle just by a couple of centimeters. From Gray's perspective, such a small movement shouldn't have caused his fist to miss - after all, his hand was pretty massive, and his knuckles alone were multiple centimeters wide - and yet, as his fist brushed past Garou's face, he hit nothing but air.
How the fuck did he-
Gray could only be stunned for a fraction of a second as Garou's hand lashed out, his fist slamming into Gray's gut.
-1,725,700 HP! (78,281,160/89,512,600)
Gray grunted and took a step back, feeling less pain due to the bulging muscles of his Kaio-Ken x4, but that wasn't the end. The tables were suddenly turned as Garou's hands moved in a blur, and as Gray moved to dodge the first one, he suddenly found himself lost. He stepped to the side, avoiding a punch aimed at his left shoulder, but was suddenly punched in his right shoulder.
-1,821,120 HP! (76,460,040/89,512,600)
It wasn't Garou's other hand, as evident by what happened after. Gray tried to lean to the side, aiming to barely avoid a punch aimed at his head, but suddenly the fist shooting for his face shifted and hit square into his chest.
-1,882,270 HP! (74,577,770/89,512,600)
Gray grunted as he stumbled back a step again, but that was far from the end of it. Garou's hands blurred in front of his eyes, and punch after punch slammed into him - none of them making sense as they seemed to defy his vision.
-1,899,250 HP! (72,678,520/89,512,600)
-1,944,170 HP! (70,734,350/89,512,600)
-1,957,780 HP! (68,776,570/89,512,600)
-1,978,200 HP! (66,798,370/89,512,600)
They simply made no sense - a blow aimed for his chest was suddenly hitting his shoulder. One blitzing towards his right side suddenly made contact with his left. The stampede of attacks came from every angle, and they made seemingly no sense as they continued to make contact time after time.
-2,012,570 HP! (64,785,800/89,512,600)
-2,112,190 HP! (62,673,610/89,512,600)
-2,283,670 HP! (60,389,940/89,512,600)
-2,339,150 HP! (58,050,790/89,512,600)
Fuck!
Gray grunted as his eyes narrowed again, deciding in the split-second it had taken for Garou to hit him so many times that he could no longer trust his own eyes. He activated [Prediction] again, and it started to make even less sense. His eyes could clearly see Garou's punch about to slam straight into his nose, but his skill willed him to step to the left.
Fuck it.
Gray trusted his skill, his eyes widening as he stepped to the left and Garou's fist blasted past the right side of his body, seemingly flowing through the air as it changed trajectory.
What the hell?
Garou was surprised too, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second as Gray suddenly dodged him, and Gray didn't let that fraction go to waste. He lunged forward, shooting a punch of his own, but hit nothing but air as Garou shifted slightly again, barely dodging as Gray's fist cut through the air next to him.
A stalemate quickly followed as Garou tried to counterattack again, missing as Gray trusted his [Prediction] and repeatedly dodged. At the same time, Gray tried to counterattack after every dodge, and was met with the same result of Garou barely dodging. Their fists burst through the air, heating up the area around them as shockwaves shot through the air from the force.
Fuck! It's like I'm punching water!
Gray was silently getting annoyed as he continued to punch at Garou, feeling like he was finally about to hit the man, just for him to lean slightly out of the way. It was as if he were trying to punch a stream of water, with every blow just causing it to shift and swirl around.
Then, finally, Garou hissed in annoyance, flinging himself backward and creating a gap between them, "What the hell is up with you?! Are you some type of prodigy?"
Gray blinked at his words, relaxing a bit as Garou did the same, "Prodigy? Is that your way of coping because you can't beat me?"
I didn't take him as a sore loser - and he didn't even lose yet! He's even winning right now!
"S-Shut up, moron," Garou just huffed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Gray, "Did you seriously learn that from copying me?"
Gray just stared at him blankly.
What the hell is he talking about?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Gray repeated his thoughts bluntly, and Garou just glared at him harder.
"Tracking my eyes, obviously!"
"Tracking your eyes? Obviously?"
"Don't just repeat what I said!" Garou hissed, getting more annoyed as Gray smirked lightly, though he was still confused.
I actually have no idea what he's talking about.
"It was different. He was moving based on his body's instincts, not based on his eyes." A more mature voice entered the conversation, and Gray glanced over to see Bang watching them casually, looking with interest at Gray. "It's quite impressive. To be able to match the Water Stream Instant Movement based on your pure instincts alone is something I've never seen."
Well, it was my [Prediction]'s instincts, but…
"Water Stream Instant Movement?" Gray raised an eyebrow at the old man, who simply nodded.
"Thats how Garou was avoiding your attacks. It's a technique that relies on reading your opponent's moves and making minimal movements to avoid them," Bang explained easily, "Against someone as fast as you, it shouldn't be very effective, but your eyes give you away."
Gray blinked again. "My eyes?"
What the hell are my eyes doing?
"A fighter naturally looks where he intends to strike next. By reading your vision, it's easy to predict what your next move will be," Bang said as if it was obvious, but Gray's eyes widened at the information.
He was tracking where I was looking? That's how he kept knowing what I was planning?
Gray's lips twitched up, a new appreciation forming as he glanced over at the annoyed Garou.
He's no joke. I can see why he could keep up with Saitama now.
"It's easy to counter by purposefully not aligning your eyes with your actions, but in such an even fight, that small delay could be the reason you die," Bang chuckled lightly, nodding at annoyed Garou, "You weren't using that method, but he thought you were and had no time to adapt."
These martial arts are even better than I thought.
Gray assumed Garou would have some good skills to be able to match Saitama, but this was better than he expected.
Even just learning this 'eye' strategy is helpful. I doubt anyone I'll ever face will be thinking about this kind of little shit. I certainly wasn't.
And, if Gray could combine that with learning the 'Water Stream Instant Movement' technique, then he'd essentially be able to recreate his [Prediction] in a more natural and less Ki-draining way.
And, this is just one technique.
If Gray didn't already have [Prediction], this would've seemed overpowered as hell. That just made him excited for whatever other techniques he could learn from fighting Garou - including how his punches seemed to shift mid-strike instantly.
"Hey, come at me again," Gray just grinned, locking eyes with the annoyed Garou.
"Eh? I didn't even get serious, and you want more?" Garou growled, narrowing his eyes back at Gray.
"I want a lot more. I'm gonna learn that shit you just did," Gray grinned even wider, and Garou's eyes widened, "So, come at me until you can't land a single blow anymore, alright?"
Whether it's against Saitama or this bastard…
Gray shifted into his fighting stance, his eyes focusing on Garou's this time.
I'm going to learn everything I can to kick your ass, Boros.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gray Tanaki:
[Saiyan S-Class Squad Captain]
Age: 18
Wallet: 30,190,250 Coins
Lvl: 26 (14,210,055/20,000,000 XP)
PL: 778.75 Billion
Available Points: 2550
HP: 58,050,790/89,512,600
TKI: 51,119,250/56,700,100
TMP: 5,790/6,400
STR: 7750
AGI: 8700
END: 11550
INT: 6300
CHA: 5995
LUK: 5295
KI: 9000
MP: 6400
HREG: 4850
EREG: 4790
Skills: [Observe LVL 60], [Running LVL 73], [Determination LVL 59], [Ki Control LVL 60], [Ki Gun LVL 55]. [Ki Enhancement LVL 62], [KI Suppression LVL 50], [Ki Sense LVL 55], [Pushup LVL 57], [Punch LVL 67], [Kick LVL 63], [Jump LVL 71], [Flight LVL 75], [Prediction LVL 75], [Zenkai Boost LVL 32], [Cognitive Acceleration LVL 65], [Ah! Lord Freiza! LVL 50], [Mouth-Beam LVL 48], [Ki-Blade LVL 48], [Cooking LVL 35], [Ki Barrage LVL 49], [Ki Explosion LVL 42], [Ki Vision LVL 39], [Attack Boost LVL 73], [Swimming LVL 36], [Clothes Materialization LVL 43], [Seal of Weakening LVL 40], [Portal Creation LVL 54], [Lie Detection LVL 29], [Reflect LVL 62], [Instant-Transmission LVL 45], [Healing LVL 53], [Multi-Form LVL 42], [Gigantification LVL 35], [Tracking MP Blast LVL 40], [MP Conversion LVL 62], [Tracking Ki Blast LVL 35], [Kaio-Ken LVL5]
Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Saiyan], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master],[Ladies Man]
Fighting Styles: [Boxing Style: Kolra LVL 5], [Fighting Style: Broly LVL 7]
Party: [Tamari, Fubuki, Tatsumaki, Celia]
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Thank you for reading! Sorry for the gap in updates again, I'll have more time to write now, so updates should be more frequent! Not daily again yet, but for the most part one of my stories will be updated every day!
You can also read the next 20 chapters right now on Patreon.com/Koyon !